| Description
of High-Temperature
Aircraft Electrical Wires. |
 |
| Description
of High-Temperature
Aircraft Electrical Wires. |
|
Only One, TKT MEETS FAA’s FAR 25 STANDARDS.
Sources; Industry Wire Experts. Contact jking1@mediaone.net
| Type | Properties | SOME Aircraft Used In |
| PVC/NYLON | *Heaviest and thickest at 6.8 lbs. per
1,000 ft. *Insulation burns readily creating copious smoke (e.g., ValuJet 592) *Insulation turns to hydraulic acid when exposed to water. |
Early DC-9s, 727s, 737s until 1979 |
| Poly-X (Aliphatic Polyimide) | *The first exotic blend of insulation
(due to oil embargo) *Light weight, 4.7 lbs. per 1,000 ft. *Susceptible to solvents *Chafing resistant but cracks around Circumference *Copious smoke *Due to brittleness, 1" bare spots not uncommon * premature aging at just 4,000 hrs * Fails FAR 25 |
Early 747s and DC-10s (e.g., TWA 800) |
| XL Tefzel *(Spec 55) | *Copious smoke, density greater than
96% * Cracks easiest under vibration (ETEF Type) years? * Toxicity the worst (ETE Type) * Arc tracks * Soft as butter at rated 150 degrees C – not 200 C * Explodes in oxygen enriched areas * Fails FAR 25 |
747s, 767s, 777s |
| Stilan | *Light weight, 4.7 lbs. per 1,000 ft *Insulation breaks down in hydraulic and de-icing fluid *Microscopic crazing problem seen by microscope *Cracks under stress *Found to arc over * Spurious signal generation * Fails FAR 25 |
747s and DC-10s built in mid-to-late 1970s |
| Kapton (Aromatic Polyimide) | *Very light weight, 4.5 lbs per 1,000 ft *Insulation burns fiercely creating no smoke *Known to arc over * Burns fiercely with arc over * Fails FAR 25 |
727s, 737s, some 747s(400s) 767s, DC-10s MD-80, MD-11, and A300-600 (with teflon top coat) |
| TKT | *Light weight, 5.0 lbs. in per 1,000 ft. *Abrasion resistant *Superb insulation protection *High heat tolerance *Resists smoking when burning (less than 2% density) |
737s and 757s built late 1992 and
on *Used on some aircraft since 1992. |
FAR 25 states: that insulation material can not be used that is hazardous, unreliable, or contributes to smoke/fire. No particular uses of insulation were further specified so insulation material includes; seat insulation, insulation blankets, rug insulation, and wire insulation. They are all types of insulation materials. Unless they are tested with an electrical fire (2,000 degrees) igniter to prove flammability proof, the material can not meet FAR 25 requirements. By their own (Limited) standards, the FAA has said, in fact, that most types of wire can not be used ! Only TKT wire insulation meets FAR 25 Standards.
